Can Cockroaches Crawl In Your Ear?

Imagine yourself in a deep sleep, and suddenly you feel something in your ear. You wake up to check, and a cockroach comes into your hand. It does sound like a nightmare, but unfortunately, it can be a reality as well. 

Believe it or not, cockroaches can crawl in your ear, and they do that mostly at night. They usually enter your ear to consume the earwax and often get stuck. These bugs then die due to dehydration or by getting crushed by you. 

If your home has cockroaches, you may want to protect your ears by wearing earplugs. Your ears are like heaven for them, as they provide a safe and warm environment. Read below to know what to do when a cockroach enters your ear. Moreover, let’s explore how to prevent them from invading your body in the first place. 

Why Do Cockroaches Crawl In Your Ear?

There is no doubt that roaches are the most popular invaders. They love to enter and stay in the most unexpected places, including your ears. But why is that so?

Roaches are always on the hunt for food, and interestingly, your earwax presents itself as an appealing option. Earwax shelters a bacteria that produces fatty acids. These acids attract roaches, and they often enter your ear to explore them, only to get stuck in them later.  

Furthermore, cockroaches love an environment that provides them with a warm and cozy atmosphere. And that’s why a human’s ear becomes their number one place to rest and grab a snack (your earwax in this case). 

Roaches can easily get into your narrow ear canal and move in and out, provided they are small. But the inner ear area often acts as a temporary home, which roaches eventually leave after some time. 

However, if the roaches are big, the chances of them getting stuck in your ear are also high, and in that case, you may never see them out until there is a medical intervention. 

It is imperative to note that cockroaches aren’t parasites. They have no interest in biting you or even being on you. That is why most roaches attack at night when you are fast asleep. 

Another property of cockroaches is that they can conveniently squeeze into small spaces. This characteristic helps them to enter your ear without any effort. 

Do Bugs Live In Your Ears for Long?

Roaches can easily survive in your ear for at least a week without food or water. However, if your earwax has enough water content, they may outlive this period without you getting any hint. 

Cockroaches that don’t survive within a week usually get killed after being crushed. Before they can even feed themselves, the roaches die due to human activity. For instance, if you press your ear against a pillow during the night, you might crush the roach present in your ear. 

Simultaneously, activities such as scratching your ear or using swabs to clean earwax may also help kill the bugs present. Besides, the pressure caused by these activities may also give you an idea of the presence of this bug in your ear. 

In addition to that, if you swim regularly, you may drown the cockroach present in your ear. Interestingly, the pressure of the water may also push the bug out without you even realizing or feeling anything. 

What Should You Do If a Cockroach Enters Your Ear

Most people with bugs in their ears often start experiencing unusual discomfort and pain. With a cockroach crawling inside, you may also feel a certain degree of sensations. So, before the pain or these sensations get any worse, there are a few things you can do at home to kick the cockroach out. 

However, before you try any of these tips, stay calm and control your anxiousness to prevent the situation from getting more complicated. Here are the steps that you can try. 

• Move your head to the side of the ear with the cockroach and start shaking the head to remove the roach. However, keep your ear safe from being hit to avoid more complications. 
• If you think that the cockroach is still alive, pour a very tiny amount of vegetable oil into your ear so that it can suffocate. 
• Alternatively, if the roach doesn’t seem alive, use a drop or two of warm water to flush it out.
• Many people use tweezers to pick the bugs out of their ears. Such tools usually push them further away, increasing the chances of complications. 

When Should You Visit Your Doctor 

If you think that the above tips have proved unsuccessful in removing the cockroach from your ear, it is best not to delay and see a doctor as soon as possible. A roach that has lived in your ear for more than two days might start causing inflammation or infections, and that’s the last thing you want to go through. 

Further, if you can’t remove the dead cockroach from your ear yourself, you need to take help from an expert. This is because the decaying body of the roach can produce fungus, bacteria, and yeast, damaging your ear slowly. 

A dead roach may attract other cockroaches in your house through its distinct smell. This means that you may be a victim of another cockroach attack pretty soon. 

So, instead of taking a risk, visit a doctor and let them handle this task for you. So, what will a doctor do? Depending on your situation, they may suggest a quick treatment course. 

Moreover, a doctor will also have a deep look inside your ear and inspect it for any infections. In addition, they might also flush out any visible body parts of the bug to reduce the chances of any damage. 

Most doctors also prescribe an antibiotic course that can help prevent infections. 

How to Prevent Cockroaches from Entering Your Ear In the First Place?

Even the thought of roaches entering your ears sounds disgusting, but you can’t run away from the fact since it is possible. However, you can make sure that such an incident doesn’t happen in the first place. 

If you have roaches in your house, they may attack your ear. So, here are a few things you can do to make your ears less appealing for them. 

• Use warm water to keep your ears clean of earwax. 
• Take a shower before bedtime and use a citrus-based soap or shampoo to keep the roaches away.
• Roaches like toothpaste. If you use it before going to bed, remove any traces from your face. 
• Cockroaches may also hop on your bed to feed on the food crumbs that may have settled on your bed from last night. Ensure to clean your bed sheets before sleeping and avoid eating on your bed altogether. 

If you can’t do any of the above, you can place barriers around your ears to keep roaches at bay. For instance, wear earplugs before dozing off.

Alternatively, there are some readily available roach traps on the market. And interestingly, they are more appealing than your earwax. So put these traps around your bed, and see the roaches being trapped. 

There are certain smells that roaches hate. For instance, cockroaches dislike essential oils that smell like peppermint.

Spray the oil in areas of the bed where the roaches are most likely to reach. Make sure to use the oil in a small amount, as they can also be harmful to pets. 

Ways to Getting Rid of Cockroaches

As long as cockroaches are present and alive in your home, you may witness them attacking you more than often. Living with these bugs is a nightmare, and you can’t make temporary adjustments every time. 

So, the best way to deal with these insects is by killing or getting rid of them for good. Many products and substances are available in the market that can help you kill these bugs. 

For instance, Diatomaceous Earth is a harmless powder that dehydrates roaches and gets rid of them within a short time.

Alternatively, boric acid is also quite deadly for these bugs. The acid sticks to the legs and wings of the bug, and when ingested, it damages its nervous system leading to rapid death. 

However, at times there are more cockroaches in your house than you can imagine. In that case, you may require some help from professionals to prevent infestation. 

Whichever method you go for, make sure that you take care of your children or pets while applying organic or inorganic products in your house. Moreover, use gloves and goggles to protect your eyes and hands from chemicals. 

Final Takeaway

It is pretty hard to imagine having a cockroach living in your ear. But if you have this bug inside your house, you may experience this incident more than once. 

Since roaches love to feed on earwax and stay in warm environments, they may squeeze inside your ear, making your body a safe home. To avoid this, make sure you keep your house clean and remove cockroaches from your home using various products. You can also use baits to trap these insects before they climb your bed. 

However, if you suspect a bug inside your ear and feel a particular sensation, visit a doctor as soon as possible. A quick action will save you from complicated infections.